Valley Forge is a military camp located in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. During many major wars of the 1700s and 1800s, Valley Forge became a place where the military went during the winter months. Its location was far enough west of Philadelphia that it was difficult for the British army to attack them by surprise. It was along the Schuylkill River and had high hills so it was easy to defend. Valley Forge was one of the most important locations for the American Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. George Washington and the Valley Forge Site The leader of the American Continental Army was George Washington during the Revolutionary War. There were more than 12,000 soldiers from the 13 colonies that were part of the American Continental Army. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayIn 1777, the army had already been defeated by the British army at the Battles of Brandywine and Germantown and needed to time to rest and retrain. Valley Forge is where George Washington chose to camp his Continental Army during the winter of 1777-78. Washington was respected by the soldiers because he was a leader who stuck with his men. He was the best rider in camp and he was very athletic. The British army in Philadelphia The British army occupied Philadelphia which was then the capital. The British captured Philadelphia after defeating Washington's army at the Battle of Brandywine and the Battle of Paoli. But Washington had a plan to engage the British again by surprising and destroying them. Valley Forge was in a good position relative to Philadelphia, 18 miles along the river bank. the elements made the situation really tough. More than 2,000 soldiers died from starvation, disease, poor weather conditions and malnutrition. They died from these diseases because they did not have much food or clothing, which made them very weak and the diseases were very contagious. Some of the diseases they died from were pneumonia, smallpox, typhus and dysentery. Some soldiers did not have shoes because the government did not have enough money and when they wore them they could not replace them. Because of this, they got frostbite and if their feet turned green, they had to have their feet amputated. Army supplies, such as food and tents, were delayed in arriving at Valley Forge and so had to build huts to protect against bad weather. Washington designed the cabins and the soldiers built them. He established rules for how the cabins had to be maintained and no food could be eaten in the cabins. Army Retraining at Valley Forge General Baron von Steuben came to Valley Forge in February 1778 to retrain the army. He taught them to march in formation, fire their weapons, and use bayonets. General Baron von Steuben did not speak English but the soldiers liked him very much. When the army arrived at camp at Valley Forge they were tired and cold, but after 6 months at camp they were re-energized and ready to fight against the British army of Lieutenant General Sir Henry Clinton at the Battle of Monmouth, New Jersey. They were more skilled in combat after being at Camp Valley Forge, which allowed them to win the battle against the British in 9 days. On June 19, 1778, they left Valley Forge to fight the British as they moved to New York. Keep in mind: this is just one.